Preview: Girls Lacrosse Finals to Match Reigning Champs Vs. Record Holders
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
June 4, 2026
Rockford and East Grand Rapids will add to their shared record of 10 MHSAA Girls Lacrosse Finals appearances Friday at Howell Parker, and could also add to their Division-leading championship counts as well.
But a pair of teams moving up the historical charts are eager to continue making their own names among the all-time elite.
Reigning Division 1 champion South Lyon United hasn’t lost in two years and will try to extend that streak against the Rams. Reigning Division 2 champion Detroit Country Day will play in its fifth-straight Final to move into a tie for most championship game appearances in MHSAA girls lacrosse history.
Below is a glance at all four teams playing for titles. Rankings as part of “best wins” are based on the Michigan Power Rating formula. Tickets cost $11 and are good for both games, and may be purchased online only at GoFan.
Both games will be broadcast and available with subscription from MHSAA.tv.
Division 1
ROCKFORD
Record/MPR: 11-8, No. 10
League finish: Third in Ottawa-Kent Conference Tier 1
Coach: Mark Neumen, fifth season (65-35-1)
Championship history: Nine Division 1 titles (most recent 2021), runner-up in 2024.
Best wins: 9-4 over No. 7 Hartland in Semifinal, 16-6 over No. 9 Hudsonville in Regional Final, 18-11 over Division 2 No. 8 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central, 9-7 over Division 2 No. 2 East Grand Rapids, 7-6 over Division 2 No. 6 Spring Lake.
Players to watch: Ella Larva, sr. M (33 goals, 9 assists); Kiah Kruisenga, jr. M (26 goals, 8 assists); Brooke Gordon, sr. M (39 goals, 22 assists); Ava Wekenman, soph. A (41 goals, 29 assists).
Outlook: After a year away from the Finals, Rockford is back in a familiar spot and riding a five-game winning streak that began by avenging a mid-April loss to Spring Lake. The Rams also avenged their March defeat to East Grand Rapids a month later. Larva made the all-state first team last season, Kruisenga the third team and junior defender Lyla Vogt earned an honorable mention. Seven players total had scored at least 15 goals entering this week, including as well sophomores Avery Maag (25) and Jordyn Coretti (15, 18 assists) and senior Ella Wagenmaker (18/12).
SOUTH LYON UNITED
Record/MPR: 27-0, No. 2
League finish: First in Lakes Valley Conference
Coach: Deanna Radcliffe, 10th season (168-26)
Championship history: Division 1 champion 2025, runner-up 2008.
Best wins: 9-8 and 14-11 (Regional Final) over No. 1 Brighton, 23-8 over No. 8 Bloomfield Hills in Semifinal, 17-10 over No. 3 Lake Orion, 15-2 and 14-5 over No. 6 White Lake Lakeland, 17-3 over No. 5 Grosse Pointe South, 19-5 over No. 4 Birmingham United, 20-5 over Division 2 No. 5 Haslett/Williamston.
Players to watch: Shaelyn Perry, sr. M (78 goals, 23 assists); Cate Cumberland, jr. M/D (33 goals, 20 assists); Gabriela Lucchesi, sr. A (36 goals, 41 assists); Reagan Shields, jr. A (87 goals, 61 assists).
Outlook: South Lyon United has won 48 straight games as it seeks to finish a second-straight perfect season. United also has defeated the other seven top-eight teams in Division 1 by MPR at the end of the regular season, and done so giving up double-digit goals only twice and with an offense that has reached 20 goals eight times. Shields, Perry and Cumberland are returning all-state first teamers, and Lucchesi earned an honorable mention last year. Seniors Alyssa Jakubiec (52 goals/15 assists) and Gianna Lucchesi (51/26) and junior Madison Lukas (49/9) also are among leading offensive contributors.
Division 2
DETROIT COUNTRY DAY
Record/MPR: 14-5, No. 4
League finish: Does not compete in a conference.
Coach: Liz Nussbaum, third season (48-12-1)
Championship history: Division 2 champion 2023 and 2025, runner-up 2005, 2022 and 2024.
Best wins: 23-3 over No. 3 Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard in Semifinal, 13-9 over No. 7 Pontiac Notre Dame Prep in Regional Final, 16-2 over No. 11 Rochester Hills Stoney Creek in Regional Semifinal, 11-10 over No. 9 Grand Rapids Catholic Central, 9-3 and 18-8 over Division 1 No. 7 Hartland.
Players to watch: Campbell Lindner, sr. G (126 saves, .490 save %); Charlotte Cook, soph. M (74 goals, 22 assists); Adriana Zuk, sr. M (46 goals, 17 assists); Jackie Calso, jr. M (47 goals, 14 assists).
Outlook: This will be Country Day’s fifth-straight Finals appearance, and the Yellowjackets return with a pair of 2025 all-state second-teamers in Lindner and Cook and honorable mentions in Zuk and Calso. The only in-state losses this season were twice to East Grand Rapids and once to Brighton, and Country Day won its first four postseason games by a combined 70-14. They also have notable victories over Carmel (Ind.) and Chicago St. Ignatius College Prep. Junior Bridget Kenney had added another 21 goals entering the week, and sophomore Maggie Stoller had 15.
EAST GRAND RAPIDS
Record/MPR: 19-2, No. 2
League finish: First in O-K Tier 1
Coach: Kira Schoonveld, first year (19-2)
Championship history: Eight Division 2 titles (most recent 2022), runner-up in 2017 and 2023.
Best wins: 20-6 over No. 5 Haslett/Williamston in Semifinal, 11-2 (Regional Final), 12-7 and 13-8 over No. 6 Spring Lake; 17-5 (Regional Semifinal) and 12-5 over No. 9 Grand Rapids Catholic Central, 9-7 (Regional Quarterfinal), 7-4 and 11-4 over No. 8 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central; 11-9 and 12-5 over No. 4 Detroit Country Day, 12-5 over Division 1 No. 4 Birmingham United, 11-10 (OT) over Division 1 No. 7 Hartland, 12-10 (OT) over Division 1 No. 10 Rockford.
Players to watch: Avery Albers, jr. G (7.2 goals-against average, 112 saves); Jane Weaver, jr. A (49 goals, 18 assists); Livia Burgess, jr. M (32 goals, 23 assists); Rylee Renker, sr. A (37 goals, 3 assists).
Outlook: Aside from a couple of late losses to Grand Rapids Catholic Central and Rockford by a combined five goals, EGR has been pretty much unstoppable on the way to its first championship game appearance in three years. The Pioneers did end up avenging that CC loss in the Regional Semifinal to finish that season series with a 2-1 edge, and they haven’t given up more than 10 goals in a game – and allowed 10 only twice, both in overtime wins. Albers made the all-state first team last season, Weaver made the second and Burgess and senior Ellen Cross earned honorable mentions. Junior Nora Williams (25 goals/8 assists) and sophomores Ciarra Burns (21/8) and Sarah Cross (15/17) also are among leading scorers this spring.
PHOTO Detroit Country Day’s Charlotte Cook (18) attempts to get past a Grand Rapids Catholic Central defender during last season’s Division 2 Final.
'South Lyon Lacrosse' Wins Out as United Turns to Season-Long Style to Finish Title Run
By
Drew Ellis
Special for MHSAA.com
June 7, 2025
ANN ARBOR – South Lyon United girls lacrosse was perfect throughout the 2025 season playing “South Lyon lacrosse.”
So, when United found itself trailing Hartland 3-2 at halftime of the Division 2 championship game Saturday at the University of Michigan, the solution was simple.
Play South Lyon lacrosse.
United kept Hartland scoreless over the final two periods of play while controlling possession and netting four third-period goals to pick up a 6-3 win and complete an undefeated season with its first Finals championship.
“We really weren’t playing our game, so we had to just settle down and play like South Lyon lacrosse and not Hartland lacrosse,” South Lyon United coach Deanna Radcliffe said. “I just told them that if they remained poised and do what we have worked on all year, eventually (the lead) would come.”
The lead came midway through the third period. Junior Shealyn Perry netted the first goal in the second half with 7:19 remaining in the third to make it 3-3. That was followed just over a minute later by a free protection shot score from sophomore Reagan Shields to make it 4-3 in favor of United (24-0).
Sophomore Cate Cumberland added another goal only 36 seconds later on an assist from Perry, then Perry recorded her third and final goal of the match with 24.3 seconds left in the third to make it 6-3.
“I definitely did put a lot of pressure on (myself), but it was all for my team and I don’t regret it at all,” Perry said of leading the second-half charge.
With the lead, South Lyon went into possession control in the fourth, limiting Hartland’s opportunities to get back in the game. When the Eagles (20-6) did have the ball, they had some rushed turnovers that gave it right back to United.
“(South Lyon) has a talented defense. They have a lot of fast girls, and I think we were just too relaxed with our sticks in the midfield,” Hartland coach Ryan Skomial said of the scoreless second half.
United was the first to score Saturday, but it took just over 10 minutes of gameplay to get the scoring started. Junior Gabriela Lucchesi found the net first, but Hartland senior Ella Ebright answered a minute later.
In the second, Hartland senior Claire Brown gave the Eagles their first lead, 2-1, off a free protection shot. Perry responded for United with her first goal of the day, but Hartland countered with a goal from junior Amanda Norton during the final minute of the half.
Radcliffe admitted her young team, which had just four seniors, may have been nervous coming into the Final with an unbeaten record. The veteran coach admitted she had plenty of nerves herself.
“I didn’t even turn around until the very end of the game because I didn’t want to look (at the crowd). Even I was (nervous),” Radcliffe said. “It’s a different setting, a different stage.”
Perry said the team remained confident at halftime and stuck to the initial game plan with an emphasis on possession control.
She was key in all phases, helping with faceoffs, locking up on defense, and scoring three goals with an assist to earn South Lyon United its first title. Perry was quick to acknowledge her senior teammates, who played on graduation day, while holding an opponent to the fewest goals in MHSAA Girls Lacrosse Finals history.
“I could have never imagined it. I am beyond excited,” Perry said of being a Division 1 champion. “I am so proud of my coach for leading us on this journey. I’m so proud of the seniors that had to leave graduation early to play in this game with us. They know they made the right choice to come win this championship with us.”
The win for South Lyon United ended a three-year run of Brighton Division 1 titles. Brighton ended South Lyon’s season in 2024, but Radcliffe knew her team had a chance to come back and do something special in 2025.
“At the end of last year, when (the team) lost to Brighton and they realized they didn’t do what they could have done, I think they had belief that if they worked … I told them that if everybody just works a little bit harder, you can surprise yourself next year. I think they all bought into it, and here we are,” she said.
Hartland finished runner-up for the second time in program history, reaching its first Final since 2012. Skomial encouraged her players to keep their heads held high and be proud of their runner-up trophy after the match.
“It’s not something a lot of people expected. We were unseeded going into Regionals, graduated a lot of talent. I don’t think anybody expected this team to grind and get here. … Honestly, it was just an honor to get here,” Skomial said. “It’s so fun to be on this stage, and it’s such a great memory for the girls. It stings right now, but they will come away with a fond memory that they will cherish for the rest of their lives.”
PHOTOS (Top) South Lyon United players celebrate their first Finals championship Saturday. (Middle) Hartland works to slow down a South Lyon United rush during the Division 1 Final.